Best Web of Science Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 platforms from academic research databases ranked against Web of Science on the same published basis.
- 1Web of Science vs Academia.edu
- 2Web of Science vs CORE
- 3Web of Science vs MAXQDA
- 4Web of Science vs The Lens
- 5Web of Science vs EconLit
- 6Web of Science vs OpenAlex
- 7Web of Science vs Project MUSE
- 8Web of Science vs JSTOR
- 9Web of Science vs Academic Search Ultimate
- 10Web of Science vs Europe PMC
- 11Web of Science vs Scopus
- 12Web of Science vs FSTA
- 13Web of Science vs HeinOnline
- 14Web of Science vs MathSciNet
- 15Web of Science vs AGRICOLA
- 16Web of Science vs APA PsycInfo
- 17Web of Science vs arXiv
- 18Web of Science vs bioRxiv
- 19Web of Science vs Dimensions
- 20Web of Science vs medRxiv
Web of Science alternatives compared
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Academia.edu | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Web |
| 2 | CORE | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | API, Browser, Web |
| 3 | MAXQDA | 7.7 | Mac, Windows | ||
| 4 | The Lens | 7.7 | Free plan | $83.33/mo | API, Web |
| 5 | EconLit | 7.6 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 6 | OpenAlex | 7.1 | Free plan | $416.67/mo | API, Browser, self-hosted, Web |
| 7 | Project MUSE | 7.1 | $174.58/mo | Android, iOS, Web | |
| 8 | JSTOR | 7.0 | Free plan | $16.58/mo | Android, iOS, Web |
| 9 | Academic Search Ultimate | 6.9 | Android, iOS, Web | ||
| 10 | Europe PMC | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 11 | Scopus | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 12 | FSTA | 6.8 | Web | ||
| 13 | HeinOnline | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 14 | MathSciNet | 6.8 | Web | ||
| 15 | AGRICOLA | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 16 | APA PsycInfo | 6.7 | No | $14.08/mo | Web |
| 17 | arXiv | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 18 | bioRxiv | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
| 19 | Dimensions | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Web |
| 20 | medRxiv | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | API, Web |
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Questions about Web of Science alternatives
What is the best alternative to Web of Science?
Academia.edu, number 1 in academic research databases with a score of 7.7 out of 10. The others here: CORE, MAXQDA, The Lens and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to Web of Science?
Academia.edu is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 14 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.